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- Title
Against reactionary populism: towards a new public archaeology.
- Authors
González-Ruibal, Alfredo; González, Pablo Alonso; Criado-Boado, Felipe
- Abstract
From Brazil to the United Kingdom, 2016 was a critical year in global politics. Heritage, ethics and the way that archaeologists relate to the public were and will all be affected, and it is time to reflect critically on the phenomenon of ‘reactionary populism’ and how it affects the practice and theory of archaeology. ‘Reactionary populism’ can be defined as a political form that is anti-liberal in terms of identity politics (e.g. multiculturalism, abortion rights, minority rights, religious freedom), but liberal in economic policies. It is characterised by nationalism, racism and anti-intellectualism, and as Judith Butler states in a recent interview, it wants “to restore an earlier state of society, driven by nostalgia or a perceived loss of privilege” (Soloveitchik <xref>2016</xref>). Our intention here is to argue that the liberal, multi-vocal model of the social sciences and the humanities is no longer a viable option. Instead, we ask our colleagues to embrace an archaeology that is ready to intervene in wider public debates not limited to issues of heritage or of local relevance, is not afraid of defending its expert knowledge in the public arena, and is committed to reflective, critical teaching.
- Subjects
POPULISM; ARCHAEOLOGY &; state; IDENTITY politics; NATIONALISM; RACISM; MULTICULTURALISM; FREEDOM of religion; CIVIL rights; MINORITIES
- Publication
Antiquity, 2018, Vol 92, Issue 362, p507
- ISSN
0003-598X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.15184/aqy.2017.227